All types of lamps have a rated (i.e., expected) service life (also referred to herein as “end of life”), usually determined by the lamp manufacturer/seller prior to the lamp being sold. All lamps eventually cease to provide light, whether due to an unexpected failure of one or more components, or because the lamp simply reached its end of life at some point in time after first being put into use. In a simple, conventional incandescent lamp, a user or a manufacturer may not care why the lamp is no longing working, whether due to failure or having reached its end of life. However, with more complex energy-efficient lamps, such as compact fluorescent lamps, the user or manufacturer may desire to determine the cause of light no longer being provided, whether due to failure of one or more components, or because the lamp simply reached the end of its life.